happycamper
09-11-2006, 06:21 AM
Protect Us from Evil
One-shot by happycamper
Rated PG
Clark found himself spending the last 15 minutes before the 8:00am start of classes in the offices of the Smallville HS Torch. Chloe Sullivan, its editor, was ignoring Clark, intent on finishing an article before heading off to first period.
The new freshman is both disturbed and apprehensive. He’s not sure why – it’s not Chloe, because he already understands her priorities and why he is being ignored – but he just can’t seem to shake the feeling that something awful is about to happen.
Some kind of psychic scream suddenly hits him, and Clark leaves to take a quick look in and around the school. Nothing. Everything is normal. In fact it is a beautiful fall day, with a perfectly clear blue sky. But Clark can’t seem to shake the feeling that something terrible has happened. Returning to the Torch, Clark is somehow drawn to the small television set in the corner of the office, and turns it on.
“Clark, what are you doing,” Chloe complains, “I have a deadline here.”
“Sorry Chloe, I just have a feeling...”
Clark flips through the television stations until he hits CNN. World Trade Center Disaster read the logo above the announcer, as she reports that a plane has apparently crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. “Chloe,” Clark calls, you have to see this.” Both stare at what looks like a large impact site on the side of one of the towers, with smoke pouring out of the damaged area.
“Chloe, I need you to...,” Lana Lang starts saying, and then stops when she notices what looks almost like horror in the eyes of Chloe and that cute Clark Kent. Quickly coming over to the other freshman, she too stares at what the news is showing her. How can something so terrible be happening, she thinks.
Through the door left open by Lana, other students enter to watch the burning building. The CNN news anchor seems almost to babble, just filling time until the experts can come up with a reason why such a horrible accident had been allowed to occur. The 8:00am bell rang to announce 1st period, but all remain, almost mesmerized by the unfolding events.
Deep emotions are whiplashing Clark. He shares the disbelief and horror of the other students, but at the same time a fierce protectiveness enters his soul for the first time. He needs to help, to somehow stop this terrible thing that should never have been allowed to happen. The new aspect of his soul rails at the tragedy – but New York City is half a continent away, and Clark is fully aware that he is powerless to help all those poor people.
But a few minutes after the bell, Clark notices a second plane appearing on the screen just a second before it crashes into the second trade tower. Seeing the new explosion, he is instantly aware that this was no tragic accident, but a deliberate attack.
“Oh those poor people,” Lana cries out, and then tears begin to flow from her face. Others – even some of the boys – are also crying, and everyone is jabbering words, desperately trying to come to grips with what is occurring.
Lana turns to Clark and buries her face in his chest. He puts an arm around her shoulder, dismayed that she has been forced to confront such...evil. Yes, evil, Clark decides, for that is the only explanation that can account for the actions that he has seen that morning.
While he comforts Lana, he also looks at the fellow students sharing the news. Confused, distraught, frightened – all had been affected by the events. How ultimately frail humans are, Clark suddenly realized. No matter how brave or good the person, they are subject to accidents that can snuff out their lives in an instant. And worse, there is evil in this world that would happily do the same, with never a thought to the value of every single life.
Clark stared down at Lana, her sweet face now red from crying. Even though he had never allowed her to suspect it, he has loved her with all his heart since both were young children. The fierce protectiveness that had arisen in his soul now completely engulfed it, and achieved permanence. He understood now that he would not – could not – allow such things to happen to those around him. Clark couldn’t protect the entire world – at least not yet – but he could start by watching over Smallville. He vowed to himself that he would do his utmost to protect all of them, and especially, Lana Lang.
Clark stood the rest of the school day before the television. He remained as still as a statue, with a hard expression on his face. Yet inside, he was awash with emotions as he saw the other crashes and the suffering. Yet even in tragedy he saw nobility and bravery even from the innocent, and vowed he would never forget. Maybe mankind could actually take care of itself, but it could still use the help of a super powered friend. In time, he hoped he would be capable of providing it.
Finis
********
********
Note: Smallville is on Central time, one time zone away from NY’s Eastern time.
On a personal note: I had changed my logo this morning as the last thing I would do before I went to bed, but this story literally forced its way out, instead. I want to apologize ahead of time, because it is not plotted or even really edited, just words that I needed to convey.
September 10th is my birthday, and after a small celebration, I had actually gone to sleep at about 10:30, many hours before I normally go to bed. For a still unknown reason I woke a few minutes before 3:00am that day, and felt a need to turn on the television, something I never do on a workday. I started watching CNN just after their coverage began. I saw the live impact of the second plane, and like Clark, instantly knew that the tragedy was in fact a deliberate attack.
I continued watching for a couple of hours, but left to arrive very early for work, knowing that the military bases would soon impose all kinds of additional security measures. But I listened to the radio during the day and watched the news very late into the night every day for many months afterwards.
I’ve always believed in the sciences and rationality, so I have never come up with an adequate explanation as to what caused me to get up early that particular day, and watch something I never had before. All I know is that things really did change that day, as it did for me, too.
One-shot by happycamper
Rated PG
Clark found himself spending the last 15 minutes before the 8:00am start of classes in the offices of the Smallville HS Torch. Chloe Sullivan, its editor, was ignoring Clark, intent on finishing an article before heading off to first period.
The new freshman is both disturbed and apprehensive. He’s not sure why – it’s not Chloe, because he already understands her priorities and why he is being ignored – but he just can’t seem to shake the feeling that something awful is about to happen.
Some kind of psychic scream suddenly hits him, and Clark leaves to take a quick look in and around the school. Nothing. Everything is normal. In fact it is a beautiful fall day, with a perfectly clear blue sky. But Clark can’t seem to shake the feeling that something terrible has happened. Returning to the Torch, Clark is somehow drawn to the small television set in the corner of the office, and turns it on.
“Clark, what are you doing,” Chloe complains, “I have a deadline here.”
“Sorry Chloe, I just have a feeling...”
Clark flips through the television stations until he hits CNN. World Trade Center Disaster read the logo above the announcer, as she reports that a plane has apparently crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. “Chloe,” Clark calls, you have to see this.” Both stare at what looks like a large impact site on the side of one of the towers, with smoke pouring out of the damaged area.
“Chloe, I need you to...,” Lana Lang starts saying, and then stops when she notices what looks almost like horror in the eyes of Chloe and that cute Clark Kent. Quickly coming over to the other freshman, she too stares at what the news is showing her. How can something so terrible be happening, she thinks.
Through the door left open by Lana, other students enter to watch the burning building. The CNN news anchor seems almost to babble, just filling time until the experts can come up with a reason why such a horrible accident had been allowed to occur. The 8:00am bell rang to announce 1st period, but all remain, almost mesmerized by the unfolding events.
Deep emotions are whiplashing Clark. He shares the disbelief and horror of the other students, but at the same time a fierce protectiveness enters his soul for the first time. He needs to help, to somehow stop this terrible thing that should never have been allowed to happen. The new aspect of his soul rails at the tragedy – but New York City is half a continent away, and Clark is fully aware that he is powerless to help all those poor people.
But a few minutes after the bell, Clark notices a second plane appearing on the screen just a second before it crashes into the second trade tower. Seeing the new explosion, he is instantly aware that this was no tragic accident, but a deliberate attack.
“Oh those poor people,” Lana cries out, and then tears begin to flow from her face. Others – even some of the boys – are also crying, and everyone is jabbering words, desperately trying to come to grips with what is occurring.
Lana turns to Clark and buries her face in his chest. He puts an arm around her shoulder, dismayed that she has been forced to confront such...evil. Yes, evil, Clark decides, for that is the only explanation that can account for the actions that he has seen that morning.
While he comforts Lana, he also looks at the fellow students sharing the news. Confused, distraught, frightened – all had been affected by the events. How ultimately frail humans are, Clark suddenly realized. No matter how brave or good the person, they are subject to accidents that can snuff out their lives in an instant. And worse, there is evil in this world that would happily do the same, with never a thought to the value of every single life.
Clark stared down at Lana, her sweet face now red from crying. Even though he had never allowed her to suspect it, he has loved her with all his heart since both were young children. The fierce protectiveness that had arisen in his soul now completely engulfed it, and achieved permanence. He understood now that he would not – could not – allow such things to happen to those around him. Clark couldn’t protect the entire world – at least not yet – but he could start by watching over Smallville. He vowed to himself that he would do his utmost to protect all of them, and especially, Lana Lang.
Clark stood the rest of the school day before the television. He remained as still as a statue, with a hard expression on his face. Yet inside, he was awash with emotions as he saw the other crashes and the suffering. Yet even in tragedy he saw nobility and bravery even from the innocent, and vowed he would never forget. Maybe mankind could actually take care of itself, but it could still use the help of a super powered friend. In time, he hoped he would be capable of providing it.
Finis
********
********
Note: Smallville is on Central time, one time zone away from NY’s Eastern time.
On a personal note: I had changed my logo this morning as the last thing I would do before I went to bed, but this story literally forced its way out, instead. I want to apologize ahead of time, because it is not plotted or even really edited, just words that I needed to convey.
September 10th is my birthday, and after a small celebration, I had actually gone to sleep at about 10:30, many hours before I normally go to bed. For a still unknown reason I woke a few minutes before 3:00am that day, and felt a need to turn on the television, something I never do on a workday. I started watching CNN just after their coverage began. I saw the live impact of the second plane, and like Clark, instantly knew that the tragedy was in fact a deliberate attack.
I continued watching for a couple of hours, but left to arrive very early for work, knowing that the military bases would soon impose all kinds of additional security measures. But I listened to the radio during the day and watched the news very late into the night every day for many months afterwards.
I’ve always believed in the sciences and rationality, so I have never come up with an adequate explanation as to what caused me to get up early that particular day, and watch something I never had before. All I know is that things really did change that day, as it did for me, too.